DOH: 92% of Philippine cities, provinces high risk for COVID-19

Around 92% of the provinces and cities in the country remain classified as high risk for COVID-19, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a report to President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday.

Speaking at a Cabinet briefing aired on Thursday, Duque said 111 out of 121 provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities (91.73%) are still at high risk level.

Duque said 82% of these areas posted high healthcare utilization and ICU utilization rates. He then urged hospitals to allot an adequate number of COVID-19 beds, ICUs, and mechanical ventilators.

Also, the Cabinet official reported that the country logged an average of 83 COVID-19 deaths each day in the first two weeks of September.

The Philippines posted an average of 131 COVID-19 deaths each day last August when the country experienced an uptick in cases due to the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Duque said the case fatality rate for people ages 50 to over 80 was 4.9%, while it was only 0.39% for individuals aged 49 and below.

The country recorded 35,742 deaths from COVID-19 as of September 15. —LBG, GMA News